Is Sanju Samson playing today's KKR vs RR IPL 2025 match?

Rajasthan Royals (RR) Sanju Samson has missed their last four games in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. He has been out of action as he sustained a side strain. Samson missing out has affected RR as well, with them struggling to win games.

Sanju Samson was seen inspecting the pitch ahead of their clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, May 4. He was also seen with a bat in his hand while having a chat with head coach Rahul Dravid.

However, he continues to sit out and is not playing today's match as well. Rajasthan have made three changes, with Kunal Rathore, Yudhvir Singh and Wanindu Hasaranga coming in for this game.

It is an important game for KKR as they are in a must-win position to keep their hopes of making the playoffs alive. They have four wins and nine points from 10 games. Meanwhile, RR's campaign is technically over as they crashed out of the race to make the playoffs.

Nonetheless, they will aim to win their remaining games and play for pride to end the tournament on a positive note.

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Sanju Samson's performance and RR's poor IPL 2025 campaign

Sanju Samson being in and out of the team and missing games has had a huge effect on RR's campaign this season. They have not only missed him as a batter but also as a captain on the field. His experience has played a vital role in their past few seasons.

This year, Samson has featured in only seven games this season. He has scored 224 runs at an average of 37.33 and a strike-rate of 143.58 with a half-century as well. Despite playing only seven matches, he is still the fourth-highest run-getter for Rajasthan Royals this season.

It is likely that RR will not risk playing Samson for the remainder of the season as they have only three games left including this match against KKR. However, Sanju Samson being out has clearly affected their campaign this year, with Riyan Parag unable to deal with the pressure of leading the side in the regular captain's absence.